Screen Name

The email address/password you submitted is wrong or could not be found. Please try again. If you are not a member of the FIFA.com Club, please register first.

The email address/password you submitted is wrong or could not be found. Please try again. If you are not a member of the FIFA.com Club, please register first.

This Facebook account is already present

Your Club account has been locked due to a breach of our Terms of Service. Please set up a new account in line with the Club rules. Review the Club Rules. Alternatively, you can email us by completing our contact form.

Please enter a valid email address

The email address/password you submitted is wrong or could not be found. Please try again. If you are not a member of the FIFA.com Club, please register first.

Teams

Profile

Four years on from their last appearance at a FIFA U-17 World
Cup, a new generation of Colombian youngsters have earned their
chance to shine on the world stage. And just as at Finland 2003,
where the Cafeteros came away with fourth place, well-respected
coach Eduardo Lara is back at the helm. The 2007 event will be
Colombia's fourth appearance at the elite competition, and
Lara's charges have the technical ability and attacking prowess
to cause quite a stir on Korean soil.

The experienced tactician has assembled a squad amply endowed
with those qualities traditionally found in the Colombian game:
skill, pace and ability on the ball. The team's success has
also been built on a miserly back-line, the South American
Zone's meanest defence conceding just five goals in nine
qualifying games. Doing the damage up front were deadly duo James
Rodriguez and Cristian Nazarith, the latter topping the squad's
scoring charts in qualifying with six strikes.

QualificationColombia booked their place at the FIFA U-17 World Cup thanks
to their second-place finish at March's South American U-17
Championship in Ecuador. Following their compatriots' failure
to reach the FIFA U-20 World Cup, the pressure on Eduardo
Lara's Cafeteros had grown still further, with the hopes of a
nation resting firmly on their young shoulders.

Showing a maturity way beyond their tender years, Lara's
boys came through the first group phase in second place, group
winners Argentina edging them out on goal difference. Colombia
kicked off the decisive final round in solid fashion with a 2-1 win
over Ecuador before defeat by the same score against the
Albicelestes set the alarm bells ringing. Not to be denied a place
in Korea, the Colombians outclassed Peru 3-0 to get their
qualifying bid back on track, followed it with a 0-0 draw against
the mighty Brazil before finishing the job in style with 5-0 rout
of Venezuela.

The Cafeteros' impressive qualifying record speaks volumes,
with five wins, three draws and a solitary defeat from nine games
played. Lara's side also boasted the tournament's best
defensive record along with Chile, both teams conceding just five
goals. However, Colombia played five matches more than La Roja, and
also walked away with the competition's Fair Play award.

CoachEduardo Lara was born on 4 September 1959 in Pradera, in the
Valle del Cauca region of Argentina. Originally drawn to Buenos
Aires by the dream of a career in architecture, he soon found the
temptation of a coaching career too strong to resist. His time in
the Argentinian capital was spent amassing a host of qualifications
including "Technique and Tactics: Theory and Methodology"
in 1983, "Coaching the AFA (Argentinian Football Association)
Way" in 1984, "Features and Developments in Fitness
Training" (1985), and "Working with Young Players"
in 1986. Lara supplemented his education by attending seminars by
such illustrious figures as Carlos Bilardo, Fabio Capello,
Francisco Maturana, Pele and Arrigo Sacchi, teachings he has put to
good practice at the helm of Colombia's U-17 and U-20 sides.
Respected by fans and media alike for his experience and in-depth
knowledge of the Colombian youth football scene, Lara will be
determined to improve on the U-17s' fourth-place finish at
Finland 2003.

Star PlayerCombining speed, power and explosive finishing skills to
devastating effect, Cristian Nazarith wowed the assembled media
throughout March's qualifying tournament in Ecuador. The
America de Cali striker top-scored for Colombia with an impressive
six-goal tally, including a hat trick in the 5-0 final-game rout of
Venezuela that sealed the Cafeteros place at Korea 2007. "At
the moment I'm focusing on winning a first-team place at
America, and only then will I set my sights on a move to
Europe," says the ambitious youngster, who could put himself
firmly in the shop window with a strong performance in Korea.

Record

Colombia return to the FIFA U-17 World Cup after a four-year
absence, having failed to qualify for Peru 2005.

Korea 2007 will be Colombia's fourth appearance at the
competition, following previous outings at Scotland 1989, Japan
1993 and Finland 2003.

Colombia's best performance came at Finland 2003, current
coach Eduardo Lara guiding them to fourth spot.

What they said..."Qualifying for Korea meant so much to us, but we need
to stay calm and not get carried away. We've got great players,
but it's vital we show plenty of composure in the face of this
new challenge." - Eduardo Lara, Colombia coach